The Consumer Council of Fiji has opened an investigation into a mobile electronics retailer in Suva following the discovery of two major incidences involving purchases of Apple gift cards in which the purchasers were not given the entire amount of their orders.

These events point to possible problems with the delivery and handling of these kinds of transactions, which is why the Council has launched an immediate investigation.

In the first case, a person planned to buy Apple gift cards, and they paid FJD $5,000 for cards that were worth $1600 USD. On June 21, 2024, the customer placed the order; unfortunately, all they received was a $500 gift card.

The buyer had to turn to the Council for aid after multiple attempts to obtain the remaining gift cards, which were valued at $1100 USD, were not fulfilled.

In a different instance, on June 14, 2024, a different person bought Apple gift cards for FJD $7,000. After purchase, the buyer was assured that the gift cards will be delivered promptly. The buyer was plagued with unanswered calls and unfinished business because the seller did not send the cards, despite multiple attempts to reach them.

These could be singular incidents or a symptom of a larger trend. The quantities connected to these purchases are worrisome, according to Seema Shandil, CEO of the Consumer Council. “People ought to exercise caution when investing such substantial sums of money on such products.”

These incidents show how important it is for customers to be responsible and cautious when buying expensive gift cards or using mobile repair services.

According to Seema Shandil, “it is crucial to confirm that vendors are authorized retailers in order to protect consumer rights.”

Since the trader hasn’t offered any proof that they are an approved retailer of Apple goods, it was unable to identify whether or not they are an authorized dealer during the Council’s examination.

This calls into doubt the validity of the gift card sales as well as the other repair services they are offering. Customers are advised to take caution when making significant transactions, even as we are actively looking into these issues to guarantee that consumer rights are upheld and to stop such incidents in the future.

Customers are advised to contact the Consumer Council of Fiji at [email protected] or by phoning the National Toll-Free Helpline 155 to report any anomalies and suspicious activity related to scams or frauds for prompt assistance.